The Dream of the Great American Novel - Rilegato

Buell, Lawrence

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0674051157 ISBN 13: 9780674051157

Casa editrice: Belknap Pr, 2014

Riassunto

The idea of "the great American novel" continues to thrive almost as vigorously as in its nineteenth-century heyday, defying 150 years of attempts to dismiss it as amateurish or obsolete. In this landmark book, the first in many years to take in the whole sweep of national fiction, Lawrence Buell reanimates this supposedly antiquated idea, demonstrating that its history is a key to the dynamics of national literature and national identity itself.

The dream of the G.A.N., as Henry James nicknamed it, crystallized soon after the Civil War. In fresh, in-depth readings of selected contenders from the 1850sonward in conversation with hundreds of other novels, Buell delineates four "scripts" for G.A.N. candidates. One, illustrated byThe Scarlet Letter, is the adaptation of the novel's story-line by later writers, often in ways that are contrary to the original author's own design. Other aspirants, includingThe Great Gatsby and Invisible Man, engage the American Dream of remarkable transformation from humble origins. A third script, seen inUncle Tom's Cabin and Beloved, is the family saga that grapples with racial and other social divisions. Finally,mega-novels fromMoby-Dick to Gravity's Rainbow feature assemblages of characters who dramatize in microcosm the promise and pitfalls of democracy.

The canvas of the great American novel is in constant motion, reflecting revolutions in fictional fashion, the changing face of authorship, and the inseparability of high culture from popular. As Buell reveals, the elusive G.A.N. showcases the myth of the United States as a nation perpetually under construction.

Su questo libro

Recensione:

Rich in critical insight, Buell s analysis locates scores of novels in its interpretive mosaic. And even in a conclusion suggesting that America s global decline dims the prospects for its realization, Buell wonders if the [Great American Novel] isn t stirring again in surprising new developments in science fiction. An impressively ambitious literary survey. --Bryce Christensen"Booklist (starred review)" (01/01/2014)

"In his discussions of the novels, Buell emphasises large and important questions, rather than confining himself to purely academic territory" --Elaine Showalter, Literary Review, 1 March 2014

"...there is no doubting Buell s tremendous knowledge, his commitment to his subject and to understanding American literature and culture more broadly. Whatever text he is discussing, his analysis demonstrates finely critical skills and a deep love of literature. [...] Engaging, provocative, enjoyable if occasionally arduous, The Dream of the Great American Novel ultimately affirms the importance of literature to a nation s sense of itself." --Times Literary Supplement

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Belknap Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0674051157
• ISBN 13: 9780674051157
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Numero di pagine: 567